5.9.15 Grandview Speedway Results
BECHTELSVILLE, PA. ? Kevin Hirthler gave his mother an early Mother?s Day present on Saturday night when he collected his first 30-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Modified feature of the season at Grandview Speedway. Hirthler, who led from start to finish didn?t have an easy task since he had several different drivers alongside him on restarts and the last five laps he had constant pressure from runner-up Craig Von Dohren. He held off all challenges for his ninth career win.
Wayne Pfeil finally had a change of luck after struggling a few weeks and was able to record his second 25-lap NASCAR BRC Late Model feature of the current campaign holding off a hard-charging second-place finisher Sean Merkel. In victory lane Pfeil thanked Fluffy from Berks-Mont Towing for all his help the past week.
Kenny Gilmore reversed the tables this week and he was ahead of Brett Kressley when the checkered fell in the 25-lap NASCAR Sportsman feature.
All three feature winners in the activities sponsored by Whelen Engineering received extra monetary prizes from T.P. Trailers, Limerick. Hirthler, Pfeil and Ryan Beltz received the Dan?s Deli ?-way leader hoagie award.
Hirthler wasted no time getting the jump on polesitter Ron Seltmann Jr. to keep his self-owned Wm. Penn/Green Lane Towing/4-Star Lettering No. 117 ahead of the 28-car starting grid.
The first caution was when Ray Swinehart slowed in the fourth turn with mechanical issues. Hirthler held his own when action continued with Tim Buckwalter, Kyle Weiss, Todd Smith and Glenn Strunk giving him a run for the money.
Hirthler held the high side while Buckwalter tried to pass him on the inside.
Positions were constantly changing and by the 13th lap Buckwalter and Jeff Strunk were in a fierce duel for second with Weiss and G. Strunk waiting for a slip-up.
Mike Kellner stopped with a left front flat tire in the fourth turn on the 15th lap for another caution. By this time Weiss was next to Hirthler on the restart, but he left him behind along with Buckwalter, Doug Manmiller and J. Strunk. Attempting to get into the thick of the action was Von Dohren.
The final caution was lap 17 when Kellner and Bobby Gunther-Walsh tangled between turn three and four. Hirthler was still in command with Weiss, Manmiller, Von Dohren and Buckwalter in hot pursuit.
Lap 25 saw Von Dohren overtake second and was on the move to try to close in on Hirthler. He couldn?t pull the feat off and Hirthler defeated him by 0.593 seconds. Third went to Manmiller, who had a change of luck followed by Weiss and Buckwalter. Sixth through tenth were G. Strunk, Danny Erb, J. Strunk, Frank Cozze and Duane Howard.
Weiss, Nate Christman and Hirthler were the heat winners.
Lou Egrie Sr. set the pace for four laps of the Late Model feature before Pfeil charged past him the fifth circuit.
While Pfeil showed the way Egrie Sr., Kory Fleming, S. Merkel and Randy Stoudt diced for the remaining positions.
Pfeil approached lap cars by the 11th lap, but he kept outdistancing himself from the others.
The full straightaway lead Pfeil had was erased when Lou Egrie Jr. spun in the second turn. Pfeil motored away quickly leaving S. Merkel, Egrie Sr., Stoudt and Fleming chasing.
The positions behind Pfeil were constantly being swapped and that gave him extra breathing room.
Pfeil never faltered and went on to pick up career win number eight. S. Merkel was second with defending champion Stoudt, third; Chuck Schutz, fourth and Fleming, fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Egrie Sr., Joe Fanelli, Rick Todorow, Dave Ogin and Corey Merkel.
Heats were won by Egrie Sr. and C. Merkel.
Sportsman action had Dean Bachman as the early leader with pressure from Kyle Lilick, Brian Hirthler, Jason Neidlinger and Ryan Beltz.
At the completion of ten laps, Bachman and Beltz, both trying to win their first career feature, battled for first.